The colorful gloves – which include red, orange, blue, black, white and pink – are a physical reminder of Williams' baseball journey that has featured seven teams during his nine-year MLB career as well as stints in independent ball and in Asia.

Williams started getting gloves to match his team's colors a few years ago, and they have piled up ever since.

But it's his pink glove, the one he plans to use in his start Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals, that holds extra meaning for Williams. He bought it in 2011 to wear in honor of his mother, Deborah, who passed away from breast cancer in 2001.

"That's the only glove I'll be using on the mound every time I pitch," Williams said. "It's very dear to me."

Although he had not reached the majors yet at the time of his mother's death, she, along with his home state of Hawaii, have fueled the 32-year-old right-hander through the ups and downs of his baseball career. Neither is far from his mind regardless of what uniform he is wearing.

"It's tough," Williams said. "You have to get use to a different culture, different style of play and you also have to know your teammates. It's tough, but for me I've been around for a while and you adapt to those things."

Williams knows people still remember him as a former first-round draft pick (39th overall) of the San Francisco Giants in 1999. But it's being known as one of only six Hawaiian natives to currently play in the major leagues that Williams takes the most pride in.

"Coming from Hawaii, I think that's the number-one thing people look at – you don't want to let down that state," Williams said. "You don't want to discourage Hawaii and our peers too because we know it's a dying breed for people from Hawaii."

Moving back to a permanent starting role has aided Williams' transition to the Phillies. He's able to go back to a regular routine instead of wondering, as he did during the last three to four years, if he would be used for a spot start or be stuck in the bullpen.

"Later on down the road, you realize baseball is a business and you learn how to accept change," Williams said. "It makes you a stronger person. It makes you say to yourself, OK, I can still do this.

"If you're not strong mentally then you're not strong, period. Everybody thinks about going out there and throwing physically. It doesn't matter if he's physically 100 percent … if your mind isn't 100 percent you're beat. The number one thing is being mentally prepared every time you go out there."

Williams relates his new experience in Philadelphia to the three years he spent with the Angels from 2011-13 because of his comfort level with whoever is catching and the confidence he has in the Phillies' defense. That comfort was nonexistent when he began the season in Houston where the analytically focused Astros often shifted the defense hitter to hitter.

"They would place people in certain positions where guys weren't [normally] ... where usually I would get an out, it becomes a hit," Williams said. "It was kind of difficult and kind of frustrating. I really had to try and bear with it. At some points I really couldn't bear with it."

Williams is on his third team this season after the Astros and Texas Rangers both designated him for assignment. He admitted that before coming to Philadelphia, he wasn't willing to deviate from what he wanted to do on the mound. That hasn't been an issue through two starts for the Phillies in which he is 1-0 with a 2.19 ERA and has worked well with catcher Carlos Ruiz.

Williams' willingness to admit he was being hardheaded and then make the necessary changes has impressed Phillies pitching coach Bob McClure more than his performance on the mound. McClure compared the change he's seen with Williams to what he witnessed with Zack Greinke when McClure was the Kansas City Royals' pitching coach.

"I think it's good to be stubborn in your conviction to a point," McClure said. "Obviously he's made that change. For [Williams] to realize I've got to change to me is the biggest attribute."

A free agent after the season, Williams' future is again uncertain. But as he sat in front of his locker, he calmly explained he's not viewing the final weeks of the season as an audition. Instead, Williams wants to relish this opportunity to continue playing the game he loves.

"It is in my hands, but there's no pressure to it," Williams said. "All I need to do is go out there and pitch. I can't change anything else. If I do change anything else, I might not be here. I just have to do the same things I've been doing my whole career and keep on going forward."

Contact Meghan Montemurro at mmontemurro@delawareonline.com and follow her on Twitter at @M_Montemurro.